silver (redirected from silvers)

*on a silver platter

Fig. using a presentation [of something] that is appropriate for a very formal setting. (*Typically: give something to someone ~; present something ~; serve something ~; want something ~.) Aren't paper plates good enough for you? You want dinner maybe on a silver platter?

See also: platter

born with a silver spoon in one's mouth

Fig. born into wealth and privilege. James doesn't know anything about working for a living; he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Most of the students at the exclusive private college were born with silver spoons in their mouths.

See also: born, mouth, spoon

cross someone's palm with silver

Fig. to pay money to someone in payment for a service. (A fortune-teller might ask for a potential customer to cross her palm with silver. Used in that sense or jocularly for something like tipping a porter.) I crossed his palm with silver, but he still stood there. You will find that things happen much faster in hotels if you cross the staff's palms with silver fairly often.

See also: cross, palm

Every cloud has a silver lining.

Prov. You can derive some benefit from every bad thing that happens to you. (You can also refer to the silver lining of a particular cloud, the benefit you can derive from a particular misfortune.) I'm sorry your business is going badly, but don't despair. Every cloud has a silver lining. When Mary's friends visited her in the hospital, they tried to cheer her up, but Mary never could find the silver lining in the cloud of her illness.

See also: cloud, every, has

---

be born with a silver spoon in your mouth

to be the son or daughter of a very rich family His complete lack of concern about money is natural of someone who was born with a silver spoon in their mouth.

See also: born, mouth, spoon

Every cloud has a silver lining.

something that you say which means that there is something good even in an unpleasant situation As the trip's been cancelled I'll be able to go to the match this Saturday. Every cloud has a silver lining.

See also: cloud, every, has

silver-tongued  (literary)

a silver-tongued person speaks to someone in a pleasant way and praises them in order to persuade them to do what they want (always before noun) He was a silver-tongued orator who convinced many people to support him.

the silver screen  (old-fashioned)

the cinema All the stars of the silver screen are here tonight to celebrate this great occasion.

See give to on a platter

See also: screen

---

born with a silver spoon in your mouth

to have opportunities that you did not earn but that you have from the influence of your family Bill was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth – he came from a poor family and earned his success through hard work.

Etymology: from the idea that silver spoons were given at birth to wealthy children

See also: born, mouth, spoon

on a silver platter

without work or effort The Internet provides huge quantities of information on a silver platter, but you don't know if it's accurate or true.

See also: platter